Visit St. Pete/Clearwater makes waves with high-profile appointment

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, a Florida-based tourism agency announced, 4 August, Brian Hilterbrandt as its new sales manager for the Florida market as part of the Meetings & Conventions team. Hilterbrandt commented: “I’m pleased to be joining the Visit St. Pete/Clearwater team, representing the most popular tourism destination on the Gulf of Mexico. I’m eager to hit the ground running in the destination’s top meetings market and continue to expand our reach in the State.” Hilterbrandt’s decades-long tenure in the tourism and hospitality industry includes dedicating 28 years to Marriott International, spanning positions from director of sales and marketing to area sales manager managing six hotel sales teams. His arrival comes on the heels of record-breaking visitation and the return of meetings business to St. Pete/Clearwater. Steve Hayes, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater CEO and president, said: “Brian knows the Florida market inside and out, so he’ll be able to start having an immediate impact as we continue growing our sales presence in the State.”